The messages that continued with the brain sending only pure-hearted content finally produced useful content at the very end.
[And contact me when you have time. I’ll wait.]
‘Damn.’
Wonyoung had a moment of self-loathing with his face buried in both hands. When he couldn’t even raise favorability, the content was in that state too. It was truly mountain after mountain.
After pondering, Wonyoung opened the favorability window.
Kyung Taerim
644/999
Ki Siyeon
658/999
Baek Heegang
673/999
In the meantime, Siyeon’s favorability had risen by 10 through text messages. Heegang was even on the verge of 700.
Wonyoung hastily opened the Shabby Game Manual.
―From a favorability rating of 700 or higher with the characters, you will enter the Normal/Good Ending route.
―If all characters have a favorability rating of 700 or higher, you will see the ending with the character who has the highest favorability.
―After entering the route, the direction of the ending will be determined by the player’s choices and actions.
―Fighting! (≡^∇^≡)
‘This is it.’
Wonyoung focused on the third item. The direction of the ending is determined by choices and actions. Even after exceeding 700, if he kept rejecting them, there might be some breathing room until reaching 999.
‘Still, since this game is unpredictable…… I need to nip danger in the bud.’
In the end, it was back to square one. Not meeting them. Avoiding them as much as possible.
‘And yet I’m asking Ki Siyeon to contact me…… I don’t even understand my own heart.’
Sighing to replace his complicated feelings, Wonyoung stood up and went to the mirror to wash his face. But.
‘Huh?’
For a moment, a face with sharp features flashed across the mirror. Wonyoung quickly rubbed his eyes and looked at the mirror again, where Narae’s round face was reflected as before.
But the face he just saw was definitely…… his own, meaning Heo Wonyoung’s.
‘What……? Was it a mistake?’
For that to be the case, it didn’t make sense to suddenly have such a mistake now, having come this far past the midpoint, not even in the early game. It wasn’t like Heo Wonyoung appeared in his dreams either.
Wonyoung fell into thought with his combined IQ of 140. In fact, he was too preoccupied to notice, but considering the content of today’s dream and examining things one by one lately, there had been unusually many strange occurrences around him.
‘The System suddenly disappeared…… and after that, the game has definitely given fewer warnings. On top of that, the strange dream about Ki Siyeon being a dangerous person and my true appearance I just saw…… It’s too strange to all be coincidence.’
His true appearance being revealed could simply be due to a game bug. It wouldn’t be the first time a bug occurred. Then what about Ki Siyeon? Why Ki Siyeon, of all people?
‘Is it because there was a bug during Siyeon’s choice before?’
As Wonyoung was pondering about Siyeon, he suddenly recalled what Siyeon had said not long ago.
―Hyung, you know. That day…… I think I saw someone.
―Huh? That day? Th-the day I came to find you?
When he came to visit before, Siyeon tried to say something but trailed off. What if…… what if what he saw then was Heo Wonyoung’s appearance, the same as what he just saw?
With that speculation, everything seemed to fall into place. The reason Siyeon was mentioned as a dangerous person by someone unknown, and the reason the System said the game was unstable—it all made sense.
He was trying to return to being Heo Wonyoung.
Realizing this fact, Wonyoung felt like he was dropping straight into an abyss. If, what if he showed Heo Wonyoung’s appearance in front of one of the three men?
If they found out he wasn’t really Narae……?
Having thought that far, Wonyoung opened his mouth with a trembling voice.
“Sy-System-ssi.”
“……”
“System-ssi, come out. Explain to me. What is, happening……”
But the System didn’t show itself to the end. Anxious, Wonyoung kept pacing in front of the mirror, but Heo Wonyoung didn’t appear again.
‘……I have to avoid them.’
If it’s revealed that he’s Heo Wonyoung, everything will truly become a mess. Maybe he won’t be able to escape this world forever, or no.
More than that, the three people would be disappointed. They would resent him for deceiving them and leave.
He would become alone even in this world.
Then suddenly Wonyoung felt self-mocking. Until recently he had wanted them to see him as Heo Wonyoung, yet when he thought it might actually happen, he was terrified. After acting so superior about everything, it was truly ridiculous.
But there was no choice. He was both affection-deprived and a coward. He was Heo Wonyoung, more fragile than Narae.
He desperately needed time to sort out his feelings…… no, at the very least, time to endure until the game stabilized.
Soon Wonyoung locked the front door with a resolute face. As if locking away his heart like that.
* * *
“Hyung, Rae hyung. Are you inside? If you are, please answer……”
Wonyoung sighed. His heart wavered at Siyeon’s desperate voice.
Having learned that all his lies might be exposed, Wonyoung had stayed holed up since then. He didn’t go to his part-time job, using the excuse of being sick, and ignored the contact from Siyeon, who he himself had asked to contact him first.
So Siyeon eventually came all the way to his house.
Bang bang bang, the door shook precariously as if it would be smashed. It seemed like he might really break it.
Wonyoung let out a deep sigh and approached the front door.
“Siyeon, I’m inside.”
“Hyung!”
At Wonyoung’s voice, Siyeon spoke almost desperately.
“Hyung, are you okay? Why aren’t you answering calls? Open the door. Please?”
“……Siyeon, I, well……”
As he pondered what excuse to make, a choice appeared for once.
[I caught a contagious disease. .･ﾟﾟ･(／ω＼)･ﾟﾟ･.]
[I got a king-sized pimple. .･ﾟﾟ･(／ω＼)･ﾟﾟ･.]
‘……’
He didn’t like either. Terribly didn’t like them.
Still, if he said he caught a contagious disease, Siyeon would try to come in and nurse him no matter what, so the bottom option would be better. That was the conclusion Wonyoung reached.
“I got a king-sized pimple.”
Wonyoung covered his eyes as per the emoticon and whined “eeing.” Is this something to cry about? I said, is this something to cry about, Narae?
“A king-sized, pimple, you say?”
He could feel Siyeon desperately trying to hold back laughter from outside. Wonyoung barely suppressed his anger while twitching his facial muscles.
“I, I don’t want to show you. This ugly appearance.”
“No, how king-sized…… could it be? Still, there’s no reason to not even answer calls.”
“I was battling the king-sized pimple. Let’s meet when it disappears.”
Siyeon was silent for a moment. Wonyoung could bet his own hair that Siyeon was laughing silently.
“Don’t laugh.”
“I’m not laughing.”
Siyeon quickly feigned innocence and suggested.
“If you’re that concerned, let’s go to a dermatologist together. It’ll go away faster if you get treated at a hospital.”
“I’ll go alone. Don’t come to my house until I say it’s gone.”
“What? How can that be!”
Only now realizing the seriousness of the situation, Siyeon cried out in an aggrieved voice. Wonyoung thought it was slightly satisfying and said firmly.
“Anyway, it’s not allowed. Stay healthy for the time being. Be careful in everything.”
Though he didn’t know who, someone said Siyeon was a dangerous person, so they might harm him if the opportunity arose. So all the more reason why not meeting Siyeon now was best for him too.
However, Siyeon was not an easy person. Being younger and having the pain of shared misfortune, he tended to become particularly weak in front of him. Wonyoung recalled that fact and steeled his heart even more.
“Hyung…… is that all we are to each other? A relationship where we can’t even see each other’s faces over one pimple?”
“……”
“You’re Narae anyway, hyung. Nothing changes.”
At those words, Wonyoung felt both disappointment and relief simultaneously. Was that why? He impulsively asked, unlike himself.
“What if I were someone else? What if I didn’t have this face and personality?”
“What?”
After a brief silence, Siyeon burst into laughter.
“Hyung, are you not showing your face because of that? Because you’re afraid I fell for hyung’s face?”
“What? No, that’s not……”
“Hyung is cute, but I didn’t know you were that narcissistic.”
Wonyoung, who had been flustered after belatedly realizing his mistake, turned red and shouted at Siyeon’s teasing.
“I’m not!”
Then Siyeon brought his face close to the door and whispered.
“Hyung, hyung, it’s okay even if you’re ugly. Siyeon will be pretty enough for both of us.”
“……Ha.”
It was extremely fortunate he didn’t see the aegyo performed with that face with his own eyes. Otherwise, he would have opened the door by now saying “please come in.”
Anyway, Siyeon wasn’t taking this situation seriously at all. Of course he wouldn’t. How could a serious development be possible with the words “king-sized pimple”?
‘Game bastard……’
Wonyoung thought it would be easier to reassure Siyeon and send him away, so he changed direction.
“Right, I’m embarrassed because I’m ugly. So……”
But the game presented a choice as if to properly toy with Wonyoung.
[I’ve never not been cute, I tell you…….]
[I can’t survive if I’m not cute…….]
‘They’re the same thing, you bastard.’
However, if he chose the bottom option, Siyeon might seriously worry. Wonyoung gritted his teeth and chose the top option. He said, choking up against his will:
“I’ve never not been cute, I tell you…….”
To make himself say such nonsense!
Heo Wonyoung had never been cute since 36 months after birth! Because his eyes were fierce!
Wonyoung had another moment of self-loathing. Still, kind Siyeon sincerely comforted Wonyoung.
“Hyung is cute no matter what you do. It’s not all about your face. Hyung’s personality is cute too, your fluffy hair is cute, and the way you dress is cute.”
Isn’t that all about Narae? Wonyoung impulsively acted out again.
“What if I’m actually a person at the complete opposite of all those points?”
“……?”
